Food separating utensil



Aug. 14, 1945. E B Y HAVAS v 2,382,222'

FOOD SEPABAT-ING UTENS IL -Filed March 24, 1944 y2 sheets-sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

ArToR/vsY Patented Aug. 14, 1945 i :UNlTED-.QSTT

assenza Foon SEPARATING UTEN'SI Elizabeth n. Havas, Jackson Heights,nur. 'Application March 24,1944, seriaiiror'semse p f4 claims. (01.14s-+2) Y f This invention relatesto new and 'useful improvements instrainers and" more particularly to an egg separator forseparatin'g thewhite of an egg from its yoke. n

The invention proposes a construction of a strainer, such as an eggseparator, which is characterized-by having two handles, one of which fis movable `relative yto the other whereby the handles may be disposedvadjacent each other so that both handles of thestrainer vmay be held ina persons hand, or the handles may be oppositely disposed to bridge adish into which the strained substance is to'fall. i i

Still further the invention proposes a strainer having'handles asaforesaid whichrmay also serve as legs.

Still further the invention proposes a strainer as aforesaid having atleast one handle rigidly secured to thestraining element and one handlemovably secured thereto.

A further object of `this invention isto provide an egglseparatoradapted to simultaneously separate the whites of several eggs from theiryokes without danger of the yokes breaking.`

For further comprehension of the invention, and `of the `objects, andadvantagesthereof, reference will be had to the' following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and tothe appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more'particularly set forth;

' In the accompanying drawings forminga materiai part of thisdisclosure-4 Fig. 1 is a plan viewr of astrainer embodying the presentinvention, a movable handle being shown in dot-dash lines in itsposition adjacent rigid handle.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe strainer of Fig.1, a dish beingindicated in dot-dash lines.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing aportion of the strainer thereof.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of 'a strainer constructed in accordance withanother modification of invention, parts being indicated in dot-dashlines.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, similar toFig. 3, of a 'portion ofthestrainervof Fig.` 4,` a partv being shown in section. Fig. `6 is a plan`View. ofastrainer constructed in accordaneewitn a further modificationthis invention, parts lbeing broken away.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the structure shown in'Fig. 6.V j

Fig. 8 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, of a portion of a strainerconstructed in accordance with another modiiicaticn of this invention.

, The `strainer i0 shown in Fig. 1, according to this invention, `has astraining basket IIM formed of cylindrical wirev 4wound helically -toprovide approximatelyhalf a sphere. While the basket may be used forstraining varioussubstances, it is. particularly adaptedfor straining,that is to say separatingthe white of an egg from its yoke.

`A handle I2 is rigidly 4secured to the top coil of the basket. One sideof handle I2 is straight whereas the `other side is rounded.` The basketis also provided with a movable handle I3 which issiinilarly butreversely shaped to the handle I2 so that when handles I2 and I3 areadjacent each other, their flat straight sides mate andare inengagement.` Such aposition of the handles is shown in Fig. 1` at theleft hand side, the Inovable nhandle being indicated in dot-dash lines.It will be obvious that when the handles are so disposed, theyformineffect a single khandle which may easilybe, grasped in a person's hand.

The movable handle i3 may be, when desired, moved to a positiondiametrically opposite the handle.` I2, as shown in full lines inFig. 1. The

purposeofthis is so that the handles will form a bridge spanning thesides `oi? a dish `for support of the strainer by the dish, as shown inFig..2

l wherein adish I4 Ais indicated in dot-dashlines.

, The 4handlesmay be made of any suitable material such as metal orplastic. Asthe wire of the basketis round, means must be providedto holdthe movable handle` I3 rigid horizontally when the handle I3 Aisin,either of its operative `positions as aforedescribed. Accordingly, thetop coil of the basket has a portion I5 adjacent handle I2, square incross section and curved longitudinally similarto the topcoil of thebasket, and a similar portion I6 on the top coil diametrically oppositethe handle I2. Portions I5 and I6 may be made square in crosslsection inany suitable well known manner, such as by upsetting the metal of thetop coil orfby building up with weld metal. Portions If5 and AI 6 eachhave a width and height substantially similarto the diameter of the wireof the basket. c l

Handle I3 hasa passage I1r of substantially` thesame` shape as portionsI5 and I6 but slightly larger so that portions I5 and I6 will slideeasily in passage I1.

TheV operation of the strainer I0 is as follows: Assuming strainer In isa one egg size egg separator, the person desiring to separate the eggwill.'employ` the strainer Iwith the two handles I2 and I3 in'engagement with each other. `At such time portion I5 will be disposed inpassage n andl will maintain nand1e is in its proper position relativeto handle I2.

II from handle I2 so that portion I6 is then dis;

posed in passage I'I. The strainer may, thenbe placed over the dish I4with the handlesfr'esting' on the edge thereof and left there untilneeded;

Portion I6 will maintain thehandle I 3 in iigi'd horizontal positionduring this operation."- f If basket II is large so that a pluralityoffeggs. v

may be placed therein at one time for the simulitane'ous separation ofthe whites fromlthe yokes, the movable handlev I3 vhas addedthe-advantage that'it maybe used to `bridg'e the dish'so that theeggs-can separate slowly until all of the -white has been removed.This-enables the lperson'using the strainer toy perform other duties'rather Pthan toh'ave to retain a vhold on Ythe strainer until separationis complete.

I f desired, the entire basket may be coiled `from i'zvire square incross section, or the top coil of the basket may be square 'in crosssection;` -It will be apparentk that' other shapes l than a shape'square in cross section may beernployed if desired and the'use of suchother shapes are fwithinthefcontemplation `of the present invention. 11nthe modiiied form of the invention shown'l in Figs. 4 and 5, thelstrainer I8 has e a basket I9 similar -to basket I'I exceptthatitlislarger and hasa-viiat bottom so that ya plurality-of eggs lmaybe separated at' onetime with the-yokes `laying side by side; f has theadded advantagethat theyokes will not lbe broken bythe weight of ,oneyoke on Vtop of another. Strainer I 8 hasrtriam gular portions H* on theftop o oilofith'e: basket.

Itlis contemplated that the basket will-be provided with-three' legs2I-so that "it may bellset overla dish while the eggs are separating."'For simplicity only one'fleg is shownin fullin Figeflrand oneindicated-*in dot-dashlines. However, asUfit is f contemplated thatthree legswilll-be employed,

theportionsZD will be A120 degrees apartaI 2 l achfofthe-legs 2 I'maybemovable soi-.that the three lvmaybelmoved together toiform a handle.

At least one-portion 20 istherefo'rermade. long enough to receivevthethree legs simultaneously.

Each leg' is provided with a triangular :passage 22 slightly larger thanthe portionsv 20.:4 If desired, one `of. .the legs.may-iberigidlysecured;to the ,basket similar ltothe manner in ,which handle yI2 issecured to basket II. to have all the legsmovable., They can then eachbe ymoved so that alcylindricalportion of thetop coil is inV each ofthepassages 22and the legs can then be folded up into the interior ofihegbasket.

, rIlhis` enables the strainer I 8 to ,befpakednd shipped, as wellastoebe stored away, very, conveniently,` ,-1, -M

In the modied form of the invention s hown in ligs` and 7, the `strainer23 Ihas a basket 24pm- However, itis preferred etc.

" aratedfrom the yokes without the yokes breaking. Basket 24 is providedwith two movable handles 26, each provided with a passage 21 square incross section for coacting with a portion 28 square in cross section.Handles 26 may be folded over into the basket 24 when not in use, ifdesired, similar to the legs 2I. However, basket 24 may be provided withhandles similar to handles I2 and I3 if desired, or it may be providedwith legs similar vto .l egs 2,l. y

'In tne modified gfomiigor ,the imfentior'i` shown in Fig. 8, the topcoil 29 of a basket is provided with wings 30 for coacting with recesses3I in a cylinmetalof the' top 'coil itself.

VWhilethe several types of strainers shown in th'edrawings have beendescribed more or less in relationrto Ltheir functionas egg separators,it will beunderstood that thevprinciple offthe present invention-,hasadaptation tozvarious typesof strainers which may be employed for`otherpurposes than for separating eggs.

All. of lthefstrainers shown inthe drawings are characterized byhavingatleast two handles, one of which is movable sotthat'it can be movedinto .position adjacentthe otherhandle to coact therewithto provide a.strong handle, 'and that can be moved to another position to adaptthestrainer to bridge a vdishor thelike so` thatyit is'. unnecessary forthe person using the strainer to be holdingitwhile the strainingistakingplace. j n 1 This kitchen utensil imayalsobe iused forseparatingany other food, for lifting potatoes, string beans and other ,vegetablesfrom boilingY kettles,

While I have illustrated and described thepreferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to' be understoodthat l de not limit myself to theprecise constructionsyherein disclosed. and the right `is reserved toall changesand modifications coming within the, s cope of, he inventionas dened in theappendedclaims.

lHaving, thusoleseribfd.my invention,I what I aimas new-anddesire tosecure byUnited States Leitersaiet is: l

1. -A straineracognprising a straining basket having a tophorizontalwire coil circularin cross section thrqughout the maj orportion ofits length and having a short portionmat a zone thereon having`a plurality ofsides, and a handlel having a passage through which saidcoil freely extends, said l'iandleI being thereby adapted for movementalong said coil, said passage being of similar shape in .cross. sectiontothe vcross sectional shape of saidportion v hereby lhen said handle ismoved to dispose said. portie v-insaid passage, said por- -tion,holdsdhandle against. vertical rotation about theaxis of vsa passage,and when said handle is disposed a portion Iofy said vcoil circular in;cross. sectionin said passage, said handle is 'free'to berotated aboutsaid axis of sa i passiage hereby saidhandle maybe rotated intosaid,lbasket.

2. A strainer having a strainer basket bent of aeqntinnouspieceof wireand upon thetop-coil of whic l 1 a]pairofy mating handlesV consisting ofe fixed nendie'end d rnovebie handle are mounted so that whenthelfiandles arebr'oughttogether they form 'a Vsingle nendie; meansf'onoiding sa1d movab le handle against rotation in anvertical planewhen positionediadjaoent 'said fixedly mountedl handleorwhenpositioneddiametrically opposite said fixedly mounted handle,comprising portions formed in said top coil adjacent said fixedly`mounted handle which are non-circular in vertical cross section, saidmovable handle `being formed With a passage of non-circular shape incross section and corresponding with the noncircular cross sectionalshape of said portions, so that when said movable handle is engaged witheither of said portions it will be held against rotation in a verticalplane.

3. A strainer having a strainer basket bent of a continuous piece ofwire and upon the top `coil of which a paircf mating handles consistingof a xed handle and a movable handle are mounted so that when thehandles are brought together they form a single handle, means forholding said movable handle against rotation in a vertical plane whenpositioned adjacent said flxedly mounted handle or when positioneddiametrically opposite said fixedly mounted handle, comprising portionsformed in said top coil adjacent said xedly mounted handle anddiametrically opposite said xedly mounted handle which are noncircularin `vertical cross section, said movable handle being formed with apassage of non-circular shape in cross section and corresponding withthe non-circular cross sectional shape of said portions, so that `whensaid movable handle is engaged with either of said portions it will beheld against rotation in a vertical plane, said portions and passagebeing square in cross section.

4. A strainer having a strainer basket bent of a continuous piece ofwire and upon the top coil of which a pair of mating handles consistingof a portions, so that when said movable handle is engaged with eitherof said portions it will be held against rotation in a vertical plane,said portions and passage being triangular in cross section.

ELIZABETH B. HAVAS.

